Reflective Advice
by Vault166
Summary: Some would say it began with the tournament, Harry himself would say things really picked up after the chamber of secrets. But in truth, things started with a Mirror.
1. Year 1: A Bit Of Advice

Funny how stories can start in the strangest of ways. A window cracking, A hurricane tumbling in, a monster rising from the sea, A great Snake dying to the sword of a child.

Or with a little boy sitting in front of a mirror.

Of course, that little boy was far from normal, just as the mirror showed little of your own reflection.

Harry wasn't sure how long he'd been in front of the Mirror, It couldn't have been more than an hour, but it certainly wasn't any less.

What could cause him to lose track of time in such a manner, you might wonder. To answer it was the mirror.

The mirror wasn't all that much to look at from an honest perspective. A gold frame with interesting inlay, and strange lettering it may have had, but there were many things in the stoney castle called far prettier.

The surface was a silver disk like all Mirrors, but what it showed was far different than a barren stone room with a single boy as it's occupant.

At first it had shined with people of black untameable hair, and a family of soft faced brunettes an blondes with the occasional red-head dotting the landscape.

Harry, the bright boy that he was, had quickly put together that they were his family. A family that didn't seem to include Aunt Petunia, uncle Vernon, or his cousin Dudley at that.

But he'd barely been there for a minute when the Mirror had rippled like a pond.

What it showed as a result sent Harry's heart to a pounding rhythm like a set of drums.

At first the scene was fairly Innocuous, it was the living room of what appeared to be a fairly well lived cottage. With so much red and gold draping the windows and flowing down the walls that he almost mistook it for the Gryffindor Common Room. But it wasn't, that was made obvious by the cribb in the corner Garnered in even more gold and red than the rest of the room. It also contained a small child with black hair and green eyes that harry was stunned to realize was himself.

That stunning revelation almost caused harry to miss the man that barged into the room that looked to be in the middle of a mental breakdown.

His black hair was frazzled to say the least, it looked like he'd almost ripped it out in frustration. His eyes were a dull gray and radiated a 'WHATAMIGONNADO' Feeling.

"What are Lily and James THINKING! Leaving me in charge of Harry!? Are they idiots? I've almost dropped him at least fives times!" Only to pause as his shoulders droop theatricaly "Oh Who am I fooling! Of course they're Idiots I've actually dropped him once after all!" The mans said out loud, and Harry was stunned to find that he could actually hear the man.

Because as far as Harry could tell after a quick run around the reflective device, it wasn't emitting any sound at all.

The Man tisked to himself as the high pitched squealing sound of tiny Harry distracted him from his own panic."Oh, Harry" the man said, his voice going from manic to a small gentle thing of a loving parent as he made a swift stride towards the crib. Leaning down to get a better looked at the squealing tot.

"Did I wake you up kiddo?" The man said as he reached out to the pat the crying mini-harry on the head. "Sorry, I know how much you like those dreams of yours Pup." His raking gently through the tiny puff of black hair that the boy had, his gentle voice calming the unwilling-ly woken child.

His high pitched sobbs fading to a soft sniffling as the man went on. "Guess I have some things to learn Kiddo, do treat this godfather of yours well- we'll be learning it together after all." The man that was apparently his godfather ended with a chuckle.

As the child him's sniffles ended, his bright green eyes opened wide as the tot began looking around. The Man cringed slightly, having seemingly realized what the kid was looking for.

"Ah, sorry kid but ah Lily and Prongs aren't…" The man paused, "Well they had to leave for a bit." Little him seemed to be hurt by this, eyes watering visibly as he opened his mouth to start squealing, only for the man to pick him up swiftly before single sobb passed the tiny him's lips.

"Shh Kiddo, no need to worry you've got your uncle Sirius to look after you, you'll be fine." despite the confidence in "Sirius's" Voice the man himself looked like he didn't' really believe that. The mirror rippled after that, and played a different scene with similar content.

Each new scene showed the man apparently named Sirius Black and new escapade that somehow involved Mini-Harry.

Some Of them showed his Tiny replica causing harmless mischief, like falling asleep in the very invisibility cloak he'd used to find the Mirror, or Sirius turning his own hair bright green to get the tiny one to laugh, others just Sirius doing his best to play around with the Toddler.

But some were of Sirius just rocking Harry's crib by hand ("Ha, my mum would have a heart attack if she saw this… Or maybe she'd just the killing curse?" Sirius said sounding distinctly proud with himself) as he gave little snippets of advice.

Some were silly ("Don't forget your pants in the Quidditch locker room") Other were strange, and harry had a feeling he wouldn't understand them until much later in life. ("Always wear protection Kid") some were oddly serious for the silly, easy going man, that took a toddler messing on him with mild sigh. ("Cherish what you got kid, you never know when it's going to be to late." Silver eyes held a strange sort of dimness as Sirius took a long look at liquor bottle, only to poor it down the sink.)

Harry soon found he much preferred Sirus's bed time a stories as he regaled the tot with his youthful escapades. ("The entire ravenclaw team had to forfeit because they were laughing so hard they kept falling off their brooms!")

Harry didn't know how long he sat in front of the mirror, wide eyed in rapture as he learned more about his parents from the mirror in a single night, than he had in his entire time at Hogwarts.

But by the time he managed to drag himself away from the mirror that certainly didn't show him his face, and into his own bed, the light of the sun could be seen cresting over the mountain.

* * *

That was the first time Harry Potter visited the mirror of Erised, but it was most certainly not the last.

He would see it no more than ten times over the next year, but he would only come for a visit for nine of them.

Harry would never visit two nights in row, or stay after midnight. ("A growing boy need his sleep Kiddo, never stay up to late-unless your pulling something on someone, then it's okay." Sirius's eyes seemed to chuckle as they lit up at the idea of causing mischief "if your going to do something than do it well, but don't obsess. That just hurts everyone." Silver eyes glimmering with what Harry could only call experience "It isn't worth it if it consumes all of you, because then there's nothing left of you to enjoy it")

Each time he came the mirror would regale him with the escapades of Sirius Black Babysitter extraordinaire, as he did what he could to take care of Harry over an undetermined amount of time.

As it went on, it was quickly revealed that the romance between Lily and James potter was far less perfect than people seemed to think if only from how much time Sirius was taking care of their child.

As Sirius put it during one of his Naptime rants, (where young Harry was to asleep to pick up bad habits from Sirius's cursed filled monologues.)"They were amazing, as Boyfriend and Girlfriend, but damn do they suck at marriage!"

Thankfully Sirius seamed to do his best to avoid that subject, more focused on expressing regrets to the barely cognizant toddler in what should have been a doomed attempt at avoiding the repetition of Sirius's own failures.

"Sometimes I wish I talked more to those outside my own house, It would have helped me avoid a lot of embarrassment over the years."

Other times His godfather just gave random advice that seemed oddly wise of the man.

"Ravenclaws with their brilliant minds and unusual eccentricity, I won't lie to you and say they aren't some of the brightest people you'll ever meet. But sometimes even they get stumped by riddles, and other pursuits. So while you might not be able to help them with the answer, you can certainly point out what the answer isn't."

But for Harry's ninth visit to the mirror he couldn't help but hesitate at the door handle. He didn't know why, he never had on any of his other visits.

But somehow Harry knew this one would be different.

When Harry left the room that contained the mirror of desire, he would be wiping tears away from his eyes. His teeth grit with strength unfound, and his eyes glowing with indeterminable resolve.

Harry would not return to the mirrors residence that year, the thought of looking for it wouldn't even occur to him. He knew exactly what he would see in it's rippling folds.

But he could not return until he'd earned it.

Because now he had someone to please, someone that he wanted to be proud of him.

("Your going to be great Harry, your going to make this world twist to your tune, and I know your parents would be proud of what your going to be, and oh so jealous that I'm going to be the one to see it." the Black sobbed "Be kind to Hagrid kiddo, he's going to be looking after you for a bit." Sirius said with tight voice, "But don't worry, Padfoot's going to be along soon, he just has to finish a _Hunt_." Silver eyes glinted with murder and no good would come of it.)

And so Harry James Potter gained a goal and a role model.

* * *

The Final time Harry encountered the Mirror of Erised that year it was not by choice.

"_Use the Boy_." snake like voice hissed from every corner of the room

Quirrell spun and reached out his hand, "Come here boy!" He growled "Now!" Harry being an eleven years old and without a weapon did as he was told. The steps down the stairs, felt like a death march as he neared the mirror that he had so adored only minutes before.

Halting directly in front of the mirror Harry was surprised at what he saw.

"Now, what do you see."

Sirius, was Harry's first thought draped around Harry like a cloak as he hugged him from behind a smile on his face as he pulled a red stone from his pocket and moved to put it in Harry's. But Harry didn't want the stone, didn't want to so much as touch it.

He didn't trust himself with something as powerful as that, it should go to someone responsible.

Like Sirius.¹

Sirius froze, the stone only inches away from Harry's pocket. Before he started laughing, Harry's reflection disappeared entirely, as Sirius threw the stone into the air only for it never came down.

"Harry" his godfather said to him, and only him "You've just made me the proudest man on earth."

A wide grin broke out over Harry's face, only for it to fall when Quirrell yelled "What is it! What do You See!"

Harry wasn't very good at lying so he told the truth. "Someone proud of me." Harry could see Quirrel blink in the mirrors reflection, and scowl as he brought out his wand. Harry panicked briefly, only for the mirror Sirius to wink at him and say "Don't worry Kiddo, I got this. Now, duck."

Harry, assuming Mirror Sirius knew what it was talking about, dived to the floor just into time to hear Quirrell shout "Avada Kedavra" as the green light flew over Harry's head and straight into the Mirror as Sirius flicked the exact point where the killing curse would meet it's silver surface.

The mirror shattered with a thunderous crack, but no before the green ball of death bounced of it's surface and into Quirrell's face.

Unfortunately for Harry he wasn't escaping this encounter unscathed as a piece of the Mirror's reflective debris buried itself into Harry's shoulder.

Harry passed rather quickly, the blood forming a large pool underneath him as he slumped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Meanwhile in Azkaban:

A black dog of incredulous size despite being fairly malnourished, napped fitfully in one of darkest cell of the prison. The near constant thunder and lightning meaning that sleep was in short supply, if only because of how loud it was.

The ever present chill to the air doing no-one any favors as it forced nightmare after nightmare upon the prison's inhabitants. The dog itself whimpered fitfully, whines cutting through the air periodically as whatever dream it had got worse and worse.

Only for it squawk into the waking world when something small smacked into it's nose with fleshy 'Thwak' sound. With the sound of crashing wave, the dog disappeared to reveal a malnourished man. Thin as his bones, and ratty unwashed black hair, as his held his nose in pain.

"My poor nose." He whined to no one, once he was sure that no permanent damage was done glanced around the room to see what had hit him.

A cursory examination revealed a red rock that was the likely culprit. Picking up the tiny ruby like rock and examining closely he couldn't help but find it rather familiar looking.

It kind of reminded him of the philosopher's stone nicholas flamel had made centuries before.

It even had the same cracks too it was almost like it really was the- only to pause as his brain processed that thought,

"WHAT THE FUCK!"

* * *

**A/N:PLEASE REVIEW TINY MORTALS!**

**1:I broke down laugh after I wrote that down, I mean Sirius? Responsible?**


	2. Year 1-2: Can Change So Much

The train trip, was both spectacularly slow and far to fast.

Hermione fretted over the nonexistent end of the year tests, Quirrell's attempt at murder had distracted the teachers enough that the exams for the younger years were called off as they investigated.

Ron complained about going being stuck in a small house with the twins and _Percy _for the summer. But Harry could see the happy twitch to other boys lips as he did his best to keep how fond he really was of his older brothers a secret.

Harry himself toyed with the small shard of the mirror that had previously embedded itself in his shoulder, one of three small shards that had made up a larger piece that shattered upon hitting his shoulder bone. He'd just barely managed to swipe the tiny sliver before Madam Pomfrey had disposed of it's brothers.

He knew that if he bothered to take it out of his pocket, he would still be able to find his own blood stained on it's silvery surface.

But despite how his hand played with it, his thoughts were far away from the Mirror of Erised. No they were focused upon the small conversation he'd had with Dumbledore, and following that Madam Pomfrey.

The short exchange with the Old Gnome-like man, had been just as informative as it had been mystifying. But if harry were honest with himself, had been expected. Dumbledore seamed dead set on filling the role of mind bending mentor figure.

On the other hand, Madam Pomfrey had been far more explanatory to Harry. Informing him he would be required to see a Hogwarts Sponsored Mind Healer once a week for the rest of the summer, and depending on the results the next school year.

He didn't know if he should be surprised as he was that Hogwarts had an official policy to a Student Killing an attacking professor.

Otherwise the trip had been unremarkable, other than Malfoy stopping by to taunt them for some reason or another. Harry hadn't paid him any attention, instead he'd asked Ron for a quick game of chess to pass the time. Ron had seemingly followed Harry's lead in ignoring the Ponce, took out a chess board and set the game.

Hermione Followed along soon after, giving harry advice on what to do when she bothered to look up from her book, as Ron quickly gained the upper hand.

None of them were really sure when Malfoy and his goons left the train compartment, but it was welcome nonetheless.

After arriving at the station, Harry was quick to say his goodbyes and disappear through the barrier to kings crossing.

As soon as his uncle managed to get his School things into the trunk of the car, he'd handed the waleish man the letter's Professor Mcgonagall had given him for his Aunt and Uncle.

The man's face turned purple at the "Abnormality" of the parchment, and harry almost expected the man to rip them to pieces. Instead his uncle had merely stuffed them into his pocket with a growl before joining Harry in the car.

The ride was short, and almost before Harry could think they were pulling into Privet Drive. His School trunk was quickly stowed underneath the stair in Harry's cupboard, while Harry was shoved off into his own room.

He stared at the door to his room, something he still found somewhat novel to have only to gasp as he turned around to find something he never thought he'd see again.

It's frame was a freshly polished gold, and it's inlay seamingly crisp and the inscription newly printed on bright gold. The silver oval in it's center appeared almost liquid silver as the room itself was recreated on its surface. As it sat in the corner of Harry's room.

The only flaw being a tiny missing sliver on it's reflective surface, a Sliver that was nested in Harry's pocket.

For the Mirror of Erised was standing before him showing only a single sign of its previous state, and as Harry slid closer without thought as he pulled the tiny sliver of the mirror from his pocket, still covered in his blood without even thinking he slotted it into the cracked mirror.

He couldn't help but feel as though he'd found a lost friend, as the previous damage glowed bright gold before merging with the Mirror that showed not your face, but hearts desire.

The smile on his face said as much, as he announced with an almost reverently "Thank You." He knew the mirror wasn't alive. It was just a mish mash of enchantments, none of which would allow it thought. But he'd read that sometimes enchanted Items took on a life of their own sometimes, especially strong ones.

So even if there was only an off chance,he had to thank the Mirror, even if it wouldn't understand just what it had done for him.

But that answer would have to wait.

Now he had a promise to keep, after all he knew the mirror Sirius wasn't the real Sirius and while the mirror's words likely meant he would have achieved his goal had Sirius actually been there, it didn't mean it was over.

It had only happened just the once after all, and he fully intended to keep making Sirius Black Proud of him for the rest of his life.

And if the Mirror Of Desire hummed in quiet approval at Harry's determination… Well, that'll be our little secret.

* * *

Meanwhile In Azkaban:

Sirius Black was worried.

And no it had nothing to do with the little red stone Sirius kept on his bed and hid whenever the guards came.

No it was the Dementors that had Sirius worried. It been a month or so since the stone had popped on his nose like a little meteorite, and maybe a week later the Dementors had, _changed_.

It wouldn't be apparent to anyone new to the island, and even the guards didn't seem to feel it, what with all the time they spent in the heavily guarded barracks they probably would have shrugged it off as their imagination if they had.

But the Dementors aura had increased by tenfold at the very least, some of the older prisoner had keeled over dead from the change in mere hours. Then there was the oddness that the Dementors would participate in every night or so.

From what Sirius and a few of the more sane inhabitants could piece together, they would just stand in front of the cells night after night, cell after cell until they were seemingly satisfied.

Sometimes the Demons would even enter the occupied cells, Something that shouldn't be possible with the wards placed specifically to keep them out. But they wouldn't even attempt to kiss the occupant, they would just glide through the cell for a while before leaving.

And now a single Dementor stood (Floated?) By the bars of Sirius's cell glaring directly at him and he couldn't help but feel like this was going to be almost as bad as the day Lily had found James in the girls changing room.

As Sirius quickly came to realize he was wrong, It was far worse.

The Dementor itself didn't do much, it just sat outside his cell without moving. It's 'Kill yourself' aura on the other hand just got stronger and stronger.

Frost covered the cell in a matter of moments, Sirius started to shiver even the fur of Padfoot did nothing to hold the chill at bay. Memories scraped away at his soul, his _Dear_ mother casting the Cruciatus curse on Regulus.

Being informed by a Death Eater of all people that his brother was dead, Leaving Harry to Hagrid with an empty promise of returning, Convincing James to use Peter as the Secret keeper, finding James And Lily dead and all because of him.

At some point he'd thrown secrecy to the wolves and dug the familiar ruby stone from his mattress, it's warm magic doing barley anything at all to the ice that nested in his malnourished bones.

The strong willed Sirius Black, who had managed to weather almost twelve years of passive Dementor exposure quickly found himself ground away into little more than a whimpering mass of despair and misery as he begged for to be released from his mortal coil.

So when felt a bony finger prod his side.

Barely managing to turn his head, Sirius was only just able to register that the aura of chilling misery had disappeared, as his eyes landed on the form of a Dementor as it prodded him like some sort of curiosity.

This wasn't going to turn out well for him was it?

* * *

Apparently, Three letters really can change everything.

Harry hadn't even been in the house for more than two days when he realized something was different.

His chores list was shorter for one, and for another, when he woke the day after returning, he found his trunk in his bedroom. At first he simply though it was his aunts way of taunting him before taking it away or punishing him for opening it.

After a couple day of it sitting in his room with no retribution, he shrugged it off. But then they gave him allowance for doing his chores! And even took him to the store with Dudley so he could buy something with it!

Leading Harry to the conclusion that his Aunt and Uncle had been confounded, probably by one of the letter he'd had to deliver them.

Not mind you, that Harry was complaining, no if anything he took it for everything it was worth

First thing he bought was leather bound journal, and then had the mirror recount every bit of advice Sirius had given little Harry so far as he jotted them down with clearest handwriting he could.

The journal quickly became Harry's gospel. Whether it was because his brain felt like he'd shoved a nail in it as he did his best to memorize all of last years course books, or because Dudley and his gang were being a jerks.

Just reading it held Harry back from doing something he would regret on many occasions throughout the summer.

("Don't get angry kiddo, get even, and as Lily always says, the best revenge is a life lived well!")

He was pretty sure his aunt and Uncle noticed his restraint as well, as he found his allowance far larger when he didn't punch Dudley for insulting his Parents.

The therapy session were going well according to the mind healer, a nice woman named . Harry himself found the session's rather odd, he was apparently supposed to talk about himself, but that had always been a bit of a tough topic for the boy.

If only because he didn't find himself very interesting.

So he just said whatever came to mind, and apparently that satisfied the woman. By the end of the first month Harry realized he had yet to get a single letter from both Ron and Hermione. After digging through his Trunk for Hermione's number and borrowing his Uncles phone he rather surprised to answer the too a very miffed Hermione Granger, who quickly calmed down upon realizing he hadn't gotten any of her letters.

Both of them quickly reconnected after that, with Ron being tagged in after the girl of granger ended each phone call.

Other than that his summer had been great, and his Aunt and Uncle apparently decided to "reward" his "good behavior" by buy him a movie ticket at a nearby theater,

Of course Harry new they just wanted him out of their hair for business meeting with the "Mason's" or some other name.

Harry was ecstatic as he walked home from the movie theater, the movie was amazing and he was in high spirits as he made the mildly long trek back to Number 4 Privet Drive.

Naturally that was when things started going wrong.

He walked onto the block just in time to see his Uncle throw some small trollish creature with big ears threw the his bedroom window.

Harry wasn't sure what was going on, but an unknown creature of (more than likely than not) magical origin being in his room without permission or his knowledge just screamed "BAD IDEA!"

So following, his Mind Healers advice in taking his problems head on, Harry tackled the creature before it could get up.

Such was the life of Harry James Potter.


End file.
